Speech Acts in English: From Research to Instruction and Textbook Development

This book provides a comprehensive model of directive speech acts and shows how to teach them to learners of English, combining current theories from pragmatics and cognitive linguistics. It offers a review of the strengths and weaknesses of current theories and a critical assessment of existing EFL textbooks, with descriptions of the meaning and form of constructions and practical activities.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 265 pages
Publication date: 06 April 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Speech acts, those actions primarily carried out through language, are employed in English in a multitude of intricate manners. Regrettably, English as a Foreign Language (EFL) materials and textbooks have seldom addressed them. By amalgamating contemporary theories from pragmatics and cognitive linguistics, this book endeavors to bridge this gap by presenting a comprehensive model of directive speech acts and demonstrating effective methods for their instruction to English learners. It offers a comprehensive review of the strengths and limitations of existing theories of illocution, as well as a critical evaluation of existing EFL textbooks. The cognitive pedagogical grammar of directive speech acts, which includes detailed descriptions of the meaning and structure of these constructions, serves as a valuable resource for non-specialist readers, offering a wealth of examples to facilitate comprehension. Furthermore, the book provides a diverse array of practical activities, showcasing how research on illocutionary acts can be effectively implemented in real-world scenarios.

ISBN-13: 9781108700207